Synonyms of psych (up)

psych (up) 1 of 2

verb

ˈsīk 

as in to brace

to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally

I have to psych myself up before every swimming competition

Synonyms & Similar Words

• brace
• fortify
• ready
• nerve
• strengthen
• steel
• prop (up)
• forearm
• buoy (up)
• cheer (up)
• poise
• reinforce
• arm
• enforce
• inure
• bolster
• comfort
• season
• sustain
• encourage
• inspire
• harden
• buttress
• rouse
• stir
• support
• rally
• boost
• hearten
• toughen
• embolden

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• discourage
• shake
• demoralize
• dishearten
• psych (out)
• daunt
• unnerve
• undermine
• soften
• undercut
• weaken
• dispirit
• tire
• sap
• prostrate
• debilitate
• enfeeble
• enervate

psyche

2 of 2

noun

ˈsī-kē 

1

as in soul

an immaterial force within a human being thought to give the body life, energy, and power

disturbing, enigmatic paintings that seem to embody the psyche of this brilliant but troubled artist

Synonyms & Similar Words

• soul
• spirit
• essence
• life
• vitality
• being
• quintessence

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• body
• flesh

2

as in mind

the part of a person that feels, thinks, perceives, wills, and especially reasons

a novel that explores the psyche of a depressed teen

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mind
• brain
• head
• intellect
• intelligence
• cerebrum
• skull
• thinker
• perception
• wisdom
• brilliance
• insight
• consciousness
• mentality
• wit
• awareness
• gray matter
• judgment
• reason
• alertness
• acumen
• noodle
• sagacity
• loaf
• cognizance
• astuteness
• perspicacity
• belfry
• self-consciousness
• self-awareness
• sapience

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of psych (up)

Noun

Yet despite Almaty’s urban spread, the steppe is never too far away—nor is its indelible imprint on the Kazakh psyche. — Yulia Denisyuk, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026

Yamamoto’s performance was a gut punch and a psyche-rattling blow for the Dodgers. — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

The 16-track set is a truly thrilling journey through the relentless ambition and restless psyche of a young Black woman who’s dedicated her life to navigating the notoriously tumultuous music industry. — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026

Someone once said that the German psyche has a tendency to endow the inanimate with a soul, and in my home that thought was illustrated one hundred times over. — Literary Hub, 12 Oct. 2026